Present continuous (1 am doing) Study this example situation: ‘gn is in her car. She is on her way to work. She is driving to work. This means: she is driving now, at the time of speaking. The action is not finished. Fim cee seeps contin -ing is the present continuous: eee | ea | Tm) driving helsheft ene) working welyowthey are is we're etc.) eee 1am doing something = I'm in the middle of doing something; T've started doing it and I haven't / finished yet. Often the action is happening at the time of speakin © Please don’t make so much noise. I’m working. (not ‘I work’) ‘Where's Margaret?” ‘She’s having a bath.’ (not ‘she has a bath’) Let’s go out now. It isn’t raining any-more. (not ‘it doesn’t rain’) (at a party) Hello, Jane. Arg you enjoying the party? (not ‘do you erjoy’) I'm tired. I’m going to bed now. Goodnight! But the action is fot necessarily happening at the time of speaking. For example: Tom and Ann are talking in a café. Tom says: 7A r AY S T'm reading an interesting book at the moment. Pll lend it to you when I’ve finished it. Tom is not reading the book at the time of speaking. He means that he has started it but not finished it yet. He is in the middle of reading it. Some more examples: © Catherine wants to work in Italy, so she is learning Italian. (but perhaps she isn’t learning Italian exactly at the time of speaking) © Some friends of mine are building their own house. They hope it will be finished before next summer. We use the present continuous when we talk aboughings happening in a period around now Fei pe, teday Tis week elaveveahag ex © “You're working hard today.’ ‘Yes, Lhave a lot to do.’ (not ‘you work hard today’) © ‘Is Susan working this week?” ‘No, she’s on holiday.’ ‘We use the present continuous when we talk’about changes happening around now: © The population of the world is rising very fast. (not ‘rises’) © Is your English getting better? (not ‘does your English get better’) Present continuous and present simple —> [ Present continuous for the future > ETSREYat 12 1.3 14 15 c EXERCISES Complete the sentences with one of the following verbs in the correct form: come get happen look make start stay try werle 1 ‘You ‘reworking...hard today.’ ‘Yes, Ihave a lot to do.” 27f for Christine. Do you know where she is? 3 it dark, Shall I turn ow the light? 4 They haven’t got anywhere to live at the moment. They with friends until they find somewhere. 5 ‘Are you ready, Ayn? ‘Yes, I 2 6 Have you got an umbrella? It to rain. 7 You _.. a lot of noise. Could you be quieter? I to concentrate. 8 Why are all these peoplé here? What Use the words in brackets to complete the questions. 1 ‘Je Colin working... this week?” ‘No, he’s on holiday.’ (Colin/work) 2 Why at me like that? What’s the matter? (you/look) 3 ‘Jenny is a student at university.’ ‘Is she? What ? (she/study) 4 Loon t0 the radio or can I turn it off? (anybodyfisten) 5 How is your English? ’ coon better? (itiget) Put the verb into the correct form. Sometimes you need the negative (I’m not doing etc.). 1 I’m tired. I '[Link]... (go) to bed now. Goodnight! 2. We can go out now. It isn't raining... (rain) any more. @ ‘How is your new job? “Not so good atthe moment. . (enjoy) it very much.” 4 Catherine phoned me last night. She’s on holiday in France. She (have) a great time and doesn’t want to come back. 5 I want to lose weight, so this week I (eat) lunch. 6 Angela has just started evening classes. She . (learn) German. T chink Paul and Ann have had an argument: They... (speak) to each other. es Read this conversation between Brian and Sarah. Put the verbs into the correct form. SARAH: Brian! How nice to see you! What (1) ... (yowdo) these days? BRIAN: [ (2) (train) to be a supermarket manager. &KCARS Really? What's it like? 9)... co (yousenjoy) it? BRIAN: It's all right. What about you? saraH: Well, actually I (4) ... (not/work) at the moment. 15): . (try) to find a job but it’s not easy. But I'm very busy. 16) . (decorate) my flat. BRIAN! (7) (you/do) it alone? SARAH: No, some friends of mine (8) 0.0. co (help) me. Complete the sentences using one of these verbs: get change rise fall increase You don’t have to use all the verbs and you can use a verb more than once. 1. The population of the world ..!¢.ri8ing... very fast. @en is still ill but he better slowly. 3. The world | Things never stay the same. 4 The cost of li - Every year things afe more expensive 5 The economic situation is already very bad and it Sa none worse. Ta